Intercessory prayer is the purifying bath into which the individual
and the community must enter every day.
(Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
and the community must enter every day.
(Dietrich Bonhoeffer)
Before You Ask
And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matthew 6:7-8)
Many people think their prayers won’t work if they don’t utter them clearly enough, or fail to explain to God exactly what they mean, or don’t speak loudly enough to him with sufficient earnestness. But when this happens, prayer becomes so exaggerated that our Savior even forbids it.
Obviously Jesus does not want to discourage us from praying. His point is that when we pray we must have a sense of proportion. Once we have prayed, we must be quiet. We need to be like the farmer who has sown his seed. Help will come only when you are quiet in faith. Also in your sickness or with other needs, learn to be still and look to the Kingdom of God.
We can share our needs with the Father in a few words, without making a fuss, and rest assured that God already knows what we need and what he will do to help us. We don’t have to explain our requests in great detail to God, or try and make quite sure that he knows our needs. God knows about even the smallest matters and takes them straight into his heart. We can turn to him by glancing Heavenward, with no words at all. We can do this even when we pray about something concrete and tangible, or about something that specifically troubles us. We may realize that what we thought we needed is actually not necessary and that we can find a way right in the midst of how things are now.
This doesn’t mean that we just let things happen – as if everything will come of its own accord without our longing for it. Nor should we just cast a brief and hurried request at God’s feet. When this happens, we too easily lose sight of God, assume that everything comes to us without his help, and we forget to thank him. Then we cease to have a believing heart and are consequently not true children of God.
Jesus said, “Before you ask him.” Therefore we do need to make our requests known to him, otherwise many things will not be given that could have been given. It never displeases God when we come to him with our heartfelt requests. A real child asks for everything, knowing God has an ear for him. We should bring all our burdens and needs to him, for at the very least this helps to make us ever more aware that in all things God is the giver.
God always has our interest in mind. He carries our various needs with fatherly concern, eagerly waiting for us to come to him. He has not forgotten us. And when we feel tempted to think so, then all the more we should remember that he knows it all and cares for us. In fact, he knows much more about us and our needs than we do. Simple, childlike prayer is enough to move his heart, give you something out of the fullness of his compassion, and save you from all sorts of fear and trouble.
(Johann Christoph Blumhardt)
(The God Who Heals, Words of Hope for a Time of Sickness)
Request a prayer and pray for others
To request a prayer, click on the blue button below that reads, Share Your Prayer Request.
To pray for others, look below the form to see what prayers have been requested.
You may add your prayer request to this prayer wall using the form below. Once your prayer request is received, I will share it according to your instructions. Feel free to submit as many prayer requests as you like!
Julia
[Last night a devastating 7.3-magnitude earthquake struck Iran’s western province of Kermanshah leaving at least 402 victims dead and a staggering 6,650 injured, according to CNN. The latest reports expect the death toll to rise steadily as search and rescue responders work through the wreckage (as pictured above). A truly heartbreaking emergency situation for Iraqis, Iranians, and Kurdish people. Hopelessness is undoubtedly rife amid this calamity.]
Our Heavenly Father,
At times where we do not understand catastrophes such as this, we plead for your mercy and comfort amid rising death tolls, crumbling structures, and massive injuries. We ask you to halt the tremors and aftershocks.
Thwart any crippling fear that might grip mothers, fathers, little children, sisters and brothers.
Extend your peace that surpasses our understanding to those grieving for their loved ones lost to this earthquake. Wrap your comfort around them now.
Grant wisdom to medical personnel, emergency responders, and volunteers as they work tirelessly to save lives. Please quickly heal the thousands injured.
Reunite all those separated or missing from their family members.
Strengthen local clergy and lay leaders to minister to the physical and spiritual needs of their neighbors. Let their compassion and actions be a witness to your truth and love.
Above all, shine your light into the darkness of hopelessness, heartbreak, and mourning. Let your name be glorified amid this catastrophe.
In the name of Jesus Christ our Lord,
Amen.
(The Institute on Religion & Democracy)
Received: November 13, 2017
Edmund Krzeminski
[We read] In the King James Bible, Ezekiel 22:30: "And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none."
O God, please help us and teach us to build a wall [of prayer] around the USA, Canada and Poland. Are you ready to stand in the gap, where God is the Helper and Teacher?
Please pray that Poland, the USA/Canada would overcome for: (The Acts 26.18).
* Poland, pray for freedom from dead religion to saving faith in God through Jesus Christ as the Saviour and the Lord by grace only,
* the Church in the USA, Canada – Pray for repentance and cleansing of the church--Matt. 3.12 "Whose fan is in his hand, and he will thoroughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."
* my family:
1. Stir up the hearts of my family for ministry—for me, my wife Dorothy, our daughter Ann, and our sons Peter and Daniel - "..but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord" Joshua 24.15
2. Pray God's will and wisdom for me and my family; I ask God for great wisdom in school for Daniel, and for Edmund’s work situation, for Dorothy and Peter (also God's direction for his life) and Ann (Ann needs a husband),
3. God's order in my work. I ask God for great wisdom at my work. Blessings and the knowledge of Jesus Christ for my bosses. Thank God for the continuation of my work.
Edmund Krzeminski
Received: November 12, 2017
Julia
O Almighty God, the God of the spirits of all flesh: Multiply, we beseech thee, to those who rest in Jesus, the manifold blessing of thy love, that the good work which thou didst begin in them may be perfected unto the day of Jesus Christ. And of thy mercy, O Heavenly Father, vouchsafe that we who now serve thee here on Earth, may, at the last, together with them, be found meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; for the sake of the same thy son Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior. (Scottish Book of Common Prayer)
Received: November 10, 2017
Julia
Just for today, what does it matter, O Lord, if the future is dark?
To pray now for tomorrow—I am not able. Keep my heart only for today, give me your protection today, grant me your light—just for today. (Saint Therese of Lisieux)
Received: November 9, 2017
Julia
O God, who has brought us near to an innumerable company of angels, and to the spirits of just m en made perfect: Grant us during our Earthly pilgrimage to abide in their fellowship, and in our Heavenly country to become partakers of their joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. (William Bright)
Received: November 8, 2017
Julia
Merciful God,
Loving Mother,
Guiding Light.
Let comfort come this night
for every wound and distress
for every sorrow and uncertainty:
Your love shines upon us;
Your love will guard our rest.
(Daniel J. McGill)
Received: November 7, 2017
Julia
For Unity Of Faiths
O God, we are one with you. You have made us one with you. You have taught us that if we are open to one another, you dwell in us. Help us to preserve this openness and to fight for it with all our hearts. Help us to realize that there can be no understanding where there is mutual rejection. O God, in accepting one another wholeheartedly, fully, completely, we accept you, and we thank you, and we adore you, and we love you with our whole being, because our being is in your being, our spirit is rooted in your spirit. Fill us then with love, and let us be bound together with love as we go our diverse ways, united in this one spirit which makes you present in the world, and which makes you witness to the ultimate reality that is love. Love has overcome. Love is victorious.
Amen.
(Thomas Merton)
Received: November 6, 2017
Julia
GUARDIAN ANGEL PROTECTION PRAYER
We call upon you, Heavenly Father, and come before you with our desperate plea. We acknowledge your glory and majesty. We sing praises to your holy name.
Beloved Father, give your angels charge over us to keep us on the path of righteousness. They will bear us up when we stumble in weakness and pain.
We pray that you, Loving Father, instruct your guardian angels to band together to form a barrier wall around us. Place your angels as links in the chain that fastens tight around our fortress, and forms an unbreakable lock.
Give your angels dominion over all evil spirits, and guide your angels in binding every minion of a corrupting lord. Bind them, Blessed Father, and hand them over to your most precious son, our Lord, Jesus, for him to deal with.
Bring down the sword of God to completely eradicate the power of evil on Earth. Let your might be as thunder against our enemies.
Come, Holy Father, bring your power to Earth and stand with us against all the rulers of evil power who have joined together in order to destroy your dominion here and to extinguish your light. Extinguish them and cast them all into eternal darkness.
For those who have been caught in the threads of perniciousness, ease the torment in their souls enough so that they can once again perceive the presence of their angel protectors. Allow them to become so enraptured with their guardians that their focus on injurious and destructive acts is diminished.
We now renounce any association we have with the ungodly forces here on Earth. We break any bonds that hold us fast to their power, and loose ourselves from their strong grips.
We find shelter in your shadow, Abba, and rest in your grace.
We rise up, Father, in gratitude to you, and close the cloak of the blood of Jesus around us for the safety and well-being of all who kneel before you.
May It Be So.
Julia
Received: November 4, 2017
Julia
Angel of God,
My guardian dear,
To whom his love
Commits me here;
Ever this day (or night),
Be at my side,
To light and guard,
To rule and guide.
Amen.
(Prayer to your guardian angel)